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HIAPER Gulfstream GV

The NSF/NCAR Gulfstream-V High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (GV HIAPER) aircraft is a cutting-edge observational platform that meets the scientific needs of researchers who study many different aspects of the earth's environment, such as atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Chemical Cycles, Clouds and Aerosols, Solar and Terrestrial Radiative Fluxes, Upper Troposphere Lower Stratosphere Processes, Mountain Waves and Turbulence, Air Quality, and Mesoscale Weather.

Unique Capabilities

The NSF/NCAR HIAPER is a highly-modified Gulfstream V business jet that has unique capabilities that set it apart from other research aircraft. It can reach 51,000 feet (15,500 meters), enabling scientists to collect data from near the earth’s surface to the tops of storms and to the lower edge of the stratosphere. With a range of about 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers), it can reach many remote locations, allowing for sampling from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Such attributes, plus the ability to carry 5,600 pounds (2,540 kilograms) of state-of-the-art sensors, mean that HIAPER will be on the forefront of scientific discovery. The aircraft modifications allows for sampling using many instruments mounted in the cabin and in custom-built wing pods. Using air intakes, the aircraft enables researchers to study pivotal chemical processes high above Earth that affect global temperatures. As a flying laboratory, scientists are able to probe the upper edges of hurricanes and thunderstorms in unprecedented detail, determining the dynamics that drive these powerful storms, and thus providing valuable data used for earlier prediction such storms.